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These Truths: A History of the United States Paperback – Illustrated, October 1, 2019

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,475 ratings

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“Nothing short of a masterpiece.” ―NPR Books
A
New York Times Bestseller and a Washington Post Notable Book of the Year

In the most ambitious one-volume American history in decades, award-winning historian Jill Lepore offers a magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation.

Widely hailed for its “sweeping, sobering account of the American past” (New York Times Book Review), Jill Lepore’s one-volume history of America places truth itself―a devotion to facts, proof, and evidence―at the center of the nation’s history. The American experiment rests on three ideas―“these truths,” Jefferson called them―political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. But has the nation, and democracy itself, delivered on that promise?

These Truths tells this uniquely American story, beginning in 1492, asking whether the course of events over more than five centuries has proven the nation’s truths, or belied them. To answer that question, Lepore wrestles with the state of American politics, the legacy of slavery, the persistence of inequality, and the nature of technological change. “A nation born in contradiction… will fight, forever, over the meaning of its history,” Lepore writes, but engaging in that struggle by studying the past is part of the work of citizenship. With These Truths, Lepore has produced a book that will shape our view of American history for decades to come.

70 illustrations

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From the Publisher

Praise for Jill Lepore's These Truths

The New York Times

NPR

Washington Post

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of September 2018:: It takes an ambitious historian to write a single volume history of the United States: Enter Jill Lepore, Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer. These Truths sets out first to remind people how the United States got its start. The “truths,” as Thomas Jefferson called them, were political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. But Lepore also notes that history is a form of inquiry, something to be questioned, discussed, disputed. Has this country lived up to These Truths? she asks. The answer, as you might expect, is yes and no (though more yes than no). And the book itself is engrossing and even-handed, examining our contradictions—like a land of liberty supporting slavery—and singling out important historical figures, some well-known—like Benjamin Franklin—as well as others who were key voices in their time, but have since been left on history’s curb—like Mary Lease, leading voice of the People’s Party. As the book traces wars, policy decisions, and national debates, one can’t help but feel that the arguments we are seeing today have been carried out all throughout our history. When the final chapter (America, Disrupted) brings us to Obama, and then Trump, the narrative has lost no steam—rather, it has coalesced into a national story approaching coherence, something resembling the Founding Fathers’ more perfect union, though never actually perfect. --Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review

Review

"Lepore has written the most honest accounting of our country’s history that I’ve ever read."
Bill Gates

"It isn’t until you start reading it that you realize how much we need a book like this one at this particular moment.… Brilliant."
Andrew Sullivan, New York Times Book Review

"[
These Truths] captures the fullness of the past, where hope rises out of despair, renewal out of destruction, and forward momentum out of setbacks."
Jack E. Davis, Chicago Tribune

"It is the story of a nation, multiracial at its founding, and those who sought to find ways to realize ‘these truths.’"
John S. Gardner, Guardian

"This sweeping, sobering account of the American past is a story not of relentless progress but of conflict and contradiction, with crosscurrents of reason and faith, black and white, immigrant and native, industry and agriculture rippling through a narrative that is far from completion."
New York Times Book Review

"[Lepore’s] one-volume history is elegant, readable, sobering; it extends a steadying hand when a breakneck news cycle lurches from one event to another, confounding minds and churning stomachs."
Jennifer Szalai, New York Times

"Those devoted to an honest reckoning with America’s past have their work cut out for them. Lepore’s book is a good place to start."
H. W. Brands, Washington Post

"Sweeping and propulsive."
Boris Kachka, Vulture

"In her epic new work, Jill Lepore helps us learn from whence we came."
Natalie Beach, O, Oprah Magazine

"Gripping, moving, and beautifully written."
Evan Thomas, Boston Globe

"A splendid rendering―filled with triumph, tragedy, and hope―that will please Lepore’s readers immensely and win her many new ones."
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Revised edition (October 1, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 960 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393357422
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393357424
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.11 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.7 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,475 ratings

About the author

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Jill Lepore
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Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and a staff writer at The New Yorker. She received her Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale in 1995. Her first book, "The Name of War," won the Bancroft Prize; her 2005 book, "New York Burning," was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In 2008 she published "Blindspot," a mock eighteenth-century novel, jointly written with Jane Kamensky. Lepore's most recent book, "The Whites of Their Eyes," is a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
4,475 global ratings
History brilliantly distilled
5 Stars
History brilliantly distilled
To research a new history tour of New York City, I read two excellent books on the Erie Canal. Both books, and other extensive research, told of the boom that followed the opening of the canal in 1825. The books concentrated on the economic changes wrought by the canal: the plunge in shipping costs and the price of consumer goods, and the acceleration of travel time. That the canal made NY the “Empire State”. That with the canal New York surpassed New Orleans as the most important port in the United States. How patent applications soared as communities connected, no longer needing to be self-sufficient and could specialize.In These Truths Professor Jill Lepore brilliantly distills most of this and more into one page. She is the only author I found to highlight women and explain the profound social change that the Canal unleashed. In Rochester, for example, before the canal, flour milling was done in the master’s house with ten or twelve men helping out. The men were often paid in whiskey, not wages. The mill owner’s spouse was an invaluable part of production, often working alongside the men and preparing and sharing meals. “Homework” was an integral part of the economic process.With the canal flour production in Rochester exploded from 26,000 barrels in 1818 to a half million barrels at the end of 1830, only five years after the canal was completed. Work migrated from the home to the factory, with the head of the household gone ten or 12 hours a day. Men were now paid for their work in wages rather than booze.And the women? Back home, doing tasks that were now separate from the income-producing factory. Unpaid work was no longer considered valuable.In another home-centric detail, one that anyone who sleeps can identify with, Lepore notes that in 1818 only the rich could afford mattresses at $50 a pop. By 1848, thanks to the canal, the same mattress cost $5. Comfortable sleep was no longer a luxury.With these and more relatable details, These Truths brilliantly tells not just the story but captures the feeling of the consequences of the Erie Canal. Similar storytelling abounds in the book. These Truths is history as a page-turner. I could not put this book down.Ina Lee Selden is president of MANHATTAN PASSPORT, a specialized travel company whose latest tour, New York and How It Got That Way: Visionaries, Dreamers and Schemers and How They Shaped the Look and Outlook of Manhattan, debuted in December 2018.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2018
Jill Lepore is a national treasure, a writer-with-attitude who rose from being a secretary at Harvard to chair of its History Department. She is an obsessive researcher, unearthing bits that keep the narrative moving and often funny. She writes for the New Yorker and her obsession with excellent prose and factual detail shows. (In a book this length, there will be exceptions, and on page 674 she commits a howler: "By 2000, the number of foreign-born Americans had risen to 28 million, constituting 29 percent of the U.S. population." This implies a US population of <100 million at a time we know the US had 280+m residents. She meant about ten percent).

Lepore does not mask her politics. She writes with assurance about the tortured history of American racism and sexism without victimizing or sanctifying African Americans or women. Her final chapters reflect a merciless critic of modern NRA/pro-choice religious conservatism and a pen equally dismissive identity liberalism. She is utterly unsparing of her postmodern structuralist colleagues in the academy. She portrays Bill Clintons as a spoiled buffoon and Hillary as smart but politically clueless.

Lepore weaves several themes throughout. America was born to struggle with "These Truths" as described in the opening sentence of the Declaration of Independence. What does "created equal" mean? What are our "inalienable rights"? How can we form a government that reflects "the consent of the governed"? These Truths are, at best, a work in progress -- but the work is noble and worthwhile. She writes as well of the history of single-volume histories of the United States -- acknowledging the shoulders on which her massive contribution stands. She tells the stories of immigrants, native peoples, slaves, and women not only from their perspective but from the perspective of those privileged to rule.

Order this book like you would order a fine meal. Savor each bite and treasure each course not only for the freshness but for the spices and the display. Because when your meal ends some 700 pages later, you will discover that you are not full. If you are like me, you will beg for more.

Final point: I read this in hardback but ordered the Kindle version to enable searches, bookmarks, and notes. I urge Amazon to give a Kindle copy of this or any other book to readers who purchase hardback copies. These are complementary, not rival goods. I am not getting more content, nor is a publisher incurring more cost, when I get the book in both analog and digital formats. There is a place for both, but no reason to charge us twice.
65 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2023
I recently had the pleasure of reading These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore, and I can honestly say that it was one of the most informative and enjoyable books I have ever read. Jill Lepore does an incredible job of presenting a comprehensive and nuanced history of our country, covering everything from the founding of the nation to present day.

One of the things that stood out to me most about this book was the way it challenged some of my preconceived notions about American history. Lepore does not shy away from tackling controversial topics and presenting multiple perspectives on events, and I found myself constantly learning new things and questioning my own beliefs as I read.

I also have to give a shoutout to my amazing history teacher, Dr. Calder, who recommended this book to me and provided such fantastic guidance and insight while I was reading it. His passion for history and his ability to bring the material to life in the classroom truly made this book an even more enriching experience.

In short, I highly recommend These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore to anyone with an interest in American history. It is a well-written, thought-provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you, Dr. Calder, for introducing me to it!
7 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Jill Lepore’s “These Truths”. In one volume, Lepore has encapsulated the European history of the United States. Yet despite having 932 pages including footnotes, Lepore’s style is such that the book is a very easy read. If only more historians could make reading such a comparatively effortless task.

“These Truths” is directed at the general reader. It presupposes no special prior knowledge of American history. In addition, Lepore is able to describe America in a very objective manner. She can see that the country has emerged from a handful of small colonies to become the world’s pre-eminent superpower. But she is also able to see the flaws of slavery, which were a dreadful stain upon the emerging republic. Indeed, the residual after effects of this truly horrible policy are still washing through the system today.

Along the way, Lepore provides some fascinating snippets of information. Two that struck me were:

1. The population of the Americas at the time of Columbus exceeded that of Europe.

2. The population of Hispaniola when Columbus arrived was about three million. Fifty years later had seen the population collapse to a mere five hundred.

I was also taken by Lepore’s description at the end of the book of the American experiment in general:

“A nation born in revolution will forever struggle against chaos. A nation founded on universal rights will wrestle against the forces of particularism. A nation that toppled a hierarchy of birth only to erect a hierarchy of wealth will never know tranquillity. A nation of immigrants cannot close its borders. And a nation born in contradiction, liberty in a land of slavery, sovereignty in a land of conquest, will fight, forever, over the meaning of its history.”

America has been and is a remarkable country that I have had the privilege to visit on numerous occasions. No book in recent times has succeeded as much as “These Truths” in explaining its history.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jack Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars Jill lepore rocks it
Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2023
Very accurate telling if a history many have not heard before
Daniel James Fogarty
5.0 out of 5 stars An eminently readable American history
Reviewed in Brazil on October 24, 2023
This is the first thing I've read of Jill Lepore, apart from an article in the New Yorker. I can't wait to read more from her. In this book, history becomes narrative, never bogged down in unneeded density. Those people who were there come alive on the page, and the themes of each period are plain to see.
Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Une superbe Histoire pas comme les autres de la dévastation du nouveau monde. Bravo Ms Lepore.
Reviewed in France on September 6, 2021
J'aime lire l'histoire pour comprendre où nous allons, et à quel prix.
M Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars The truths listed in the Declaration of Independence
Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2021
"TheseTruths" looks at the truths listed in the Declaration of Independence and how truthful they have been seen by Americans throughout US history. As such, the book is more of an extended essay than a pure history of the US.
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markb
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking reflection on America's founding truths
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2021
This book is far from a standard political, social and economic history of the USA. Instead it is a considered in-depth reflection on how the founding principles of the American constitution have developed since the United States came into being 250 years ago. In parallel, Lepore describes how mass communication has evolved to inform, or to distort, U.S. politics.

She points out the irony of how a nation founded on a constitutional commitment to equality was in fact built on inequality. A constitution tolerating slavery accepted black people were property and would only count as three fifths of a person. From the outset then slavery represented a betrayal of America's founding ideals. Civil War and the abolition of slavery could not just simply dispel racism from American life. The now highly polarised American party system evolved in a context of how debates about how human rights and dignity were to be understood and put into practice. The book ends somewhere around Trump's mid-term. The now President Biden has a walk on part as a hardbitten senator.

Lepore also charts how American newspapers, opinion polls, broadcasting and social media have evolved. In her view, the mass media has grown by firing politics to become evermore combative and partisan. The result has been a compromised US political culture resting on parties shouting the opposition down, rather than on working towards reaching an understanding of a common good.

This book helps us understand the persistence of racial conflict, white supremacy and injustice in the USA up to the present day. It offers an historically informed perspective, directly linking the nation's founding fathers with twentieth century Civil Rights campaigns and with today's Black Lives Matter movement.

It helps readers, especially those like me from the other side of the pond, understand how America's constitution remains a work in progress. The founding truths of the USA - equality, freedom and democracy - will always be fought over.

Whilst this is a lengthy detailed book, it is well worth persisting. I certainly feel reading Lepore's work has helped me to a greater appreciation of the lifeblood and pulse of American culture and politics.
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